Machine for assembling ammunition components, including resistance wire



July 3, 195i .1. P. cA'l-.LIN ErAL 2559278 MACHINE EoR AssEMELING AMMUNITION COMPONENTS, INCLUDING RESISTANCE wIRE 4 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Oct. 18, 1944 `Fuly 3, 1951 J. P. cATLlN Erm. 2,559,273

MACHINE FOR ASSEMBLING MMUNITION COMPONENTS, INCLUDING RESISTANCE WIRE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 18, 1944 l. Jorm- R Catlin, Hbwaf'd E. Hufgelvnan Warren -S' Reynolds AHQRNEYS July 3, 1951 J. P. cATLlN ErAL 2,559,278

MACHINE FOR ASSEMBLING AMMUNITION COMPONENTS, INCLUDING RESISTANCE WIRE 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Oct. 18, 1944 INVENTOR. Jahn P Catlin H0 EIHu Warren .5. Re

July 3, 1951 J. P. cATLlN ErAL- 2,559,278V A MACHINE FOR ASSEMBLING AMMUNITION COMPONENTS,

INCLUDING RESISTANCE WIRE ,4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Oct. 18, 1944 Patented July 3, 1951 MACHINE FOR ASSEBIBLING AMMUNITION COMPONENTS, INCLUDING RESISTANCE WIRE John P. Catlin, Bridgeport, and Warren S. Reynolds, Stratford, Conn., and Howard E. Hutzelman, Wilmington, Del.,

Arms Company, Inc., poration of Delaware assignors to Remington Bridgeport, Conn., a cor- Application October 18, 1944, Serial No. 559,218

9 Claims. 1

l This invention relates to a mechanism for assembling ammunition components and particularly certain of the components including the resistance wire for an electrical primer for ammunition such as 20 mm. shells. The parts of a primer are relatively small and the wire used in an electrically operated primer is small and dillcult to handle, the diameter of the wire being, for example, .002? for some primers.

The present invention especially is directed to the wire feed mechanism, cut-off, and assembly of certain of the parts with a dielectric cup. The complete machine is shown in copending application, Serial Number 555,446, filed September 23, 1944 now Patent Number 2,430,080. These and other objects of the invention will become more apparent from the drawings and description.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation view of the mechanism which may be located at one station of an ammunition component assembly machine.

Fig. 2 is similar to Fig. 1, with the exception that the Wire feeding link has been advanced.

Fig. 3 is similar to Figs. 1 and 2, with the exception that the positioning rod has been raised so as to contact a button.

Fig. 4 is similar to the foregoing figures, with the exception that the rod is lowered and a button has been advanced into a dielectric cup.

Fig. 5 is a top view of Fig. 1.

Fig. `6 is a side View partially in section, looking from the right-hand side of Fig. 1.

Fig. '7 is a view of the contact button.

Fig. 8 shows the dielectric cup with a wire in its relative position thereto before the button has been advanced into the cup.

Fig. 9 shows the assembly of the button, wire and cup, the wire being engaged between the button and cup. Fig. 10 shows a completed and assembled electrically operated primer, the operations necessary to complete the primer shown in Fig. 9 to that of Fig. 10 being performable on said aforementioned copending application machine.

Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional View of the clamping device looking in the direction Il-ll of Fig. 4.

Fig. 12 is a cross-sectional side view of the clamping device taken along the line I2l2 of Fig. 11.

Fig. 13 is a fragmentary view of an alternate form of connection for the wire advancing means.

Fig. 14 is a fragmentary view partially in sec tion of an alternate form of the Wire feed clamping means and the cutter operating lever.

2 The present invention is directed to the means for feeding, cutting off the wire, and assembly of a contact button into a previously cupped and pierced dielectric article. Following the completion of the operation of the present invention, the assembled button, dielectric, and wire is transferred to another station of an assembly machine for assembly with the primer body and completion of the primer. This latter subject is not part of the present invention and is therefore not described or shown in detail herein.

The transfer dial is shown at (Figs. 1, 5 and 6), said dial being of any well-known type having apertures 2l therein for carrying the various parts from one operating station to another; For example, the dielectric may be cupped and pierced at station B (Fig. 5), as described in the aforementioned copending application. The dielectric cup is then transferred to station C of Fig. 5, being in an aperture at 22 as shown in Fig. 1. The contact button 23 (Figs. 1 and 7) is fed through chute 24 and held between fingers 25 over the aperture 2|, ready for insertion into the dielectric at the proper time. The primer comprises a body 26 (Fig. 10) having a ledge 21 and contact button 23 with dielectric 22 therein. The wire is shown in Fig. 8 at 28 and is indicated in its assembled form at 29 of Fig. 10, said wire being engaged between the dielectric cup 22 andthe button at 30 and between the dielectric and primer body at 3l, thus establishing an electrical path between the button 23 and the primer body 26. A primer composition of suitable-type may be placed in the assembled primer of Fig. 10, following which the primer is inserted in the primer recess of a cartridge case. When the cartridge case is placed in the chamber of a gun, an electrical circuit may be made through the button 23, wire 29, primer body 26, cartridge case, and barrel of the gun in such a manner as to cause heating of the electrical resistance Wire 29, thereby igniting the primer composition and setting off the propellant powder of the cartridge. The present invention is directed to the assembly of the button, dielectric, and Wire to the point shown in Fig. 9.

The wire may be held on any suitable spool 32, said wire being indicated at 33 of Fig. 1. The wire is fed between lan upper gripping plate 34 and a. lower gripping plate 35, said plates being guided relative to each other by pins 36 and 31 (Fig. 1), the plates being urged apart by springs 38. The gripper plates are carried by carriage 39,`said carriage having a suitable dovetail slot engaging a, mating tenon lll carried by the frame o`r support v4|Il'in a conventional manner. Support 40 may be an integral part of the machine or a removable plate las described hereafter.

The clamping means for holding the wire during reverse reciprocation of carriage 39 comprises a bracket 42 fastened to the frame or support 49 by threaded projection 46 and nut 90 (Figs. 11 and 12). Said bracket has a slot 43 therein which guides a depending leg 9| (Fig. 12) of the L -shaped upper clamping member 44. The lower part of the slot 43 has a pivoted member 45 held by the pin 92 carried by screw 45. The wire is gripped between the upper surface of said pivoted member 45 and the lower edge 9| of the upper clamp 44. Spring l48 bears on the head of the bolt 49 and tends to clamp the wire between the upper clamping member 44 and the pivoted element 45. Movement of the bolt 49 upwardly by gripper operating lever 64 will serve to release the wire and allow feeding movement thereof by the grippers carried by carriage 39.

Carriage 39 is reciprocated by link r5| which is pivotally connected at 52 eccentric to the center of shaft 53. Shaft 53 is suitably operated by the main operating mechanism (not shown) f the machine, which is also used to drive the punch 54 in timed relation to the wire feeding and cutting-off 'means An alternate form of removable connection to the shaft 53 is shown in Fig. 13, wherein link has a bifurcated member 92, allowing ready separation. The purpose of this is to allow removal of link 5| from the shaft 53 which is permanently attached to the machine so that base 4|), carrying the wire feed mechanism, can be easily removed from the machine after unfastening holding vscrews 93. The base |40 may, of course, be an integral part of the frame of the machine, if desired.

Link 5| is pivoted at 55 to the upper arm of the bell crank lever 56. Bell crank lever is pivoted at 51 to the carriage 39. Adjustable protection 58 is integrally connected to the bell crank lever 55, said projection serving to abut and move the grippers 34 yand 35 together so as to grip the wire therebetween. Upon rotation of the shaft, link 5| is reciprocated to the right (Figs. l and 2), causing the bell crank lever 56 to rotate in a clockwise direction until the wire is clamped between the grippers 34 and 35 (Fig. 2). At this time, further rotation ofl the shaft yand movement of link 5| will cause the carriage, 39 to move to the right (Fig. 3), carrying the y'wire therewith, clamping means 44 being raised. 'and released from the wire, as will be described hereafter.

The wire passes through a quill 59held in place by clamp 69, said wire being fed, as indicated at 6|, through the dielectric cup 22 and in proper relation thereto, as seen in Fig. 8.

Carriage 39 has `an adjustable abutment 62, against which the surface 63 of the bell crank lever moves when the link 5| moves in the opposite direction and after the grippers 34 land 35 have been released due to rotation of the bell crank lever 56 counterclockwise about the pivot 51. Motion of the link 5| in the reverse direction, or to the left, thus is transmitted to the slide 39. During this reverse motion, the bolt 49 is released by lever 64 so that the spring 48 will serve to bring the upper clamp 44 against the wire and hold the same in this position. The clamping means 44 is operated by means of the pivoted clamp lever 64, said lever being operated by the cam surface 65 through cam roll 66. An adjustable friction means is shown at `94, hav- 4 ing a spring and p ins 96 contacting the slide through the dovetail slot wall.

Fig. l illustrates the rwire feed mechanism just as the bell crank 56 is starting to be rotated to Y a gripping position and just as the portion 61 of the cam is about to engage cam roller 66 so as to release the stationary clamping arrangement 44.

Fig. 2 shows the link 5| being advanced in a manner-such as to carry the clamped wire between grippers 34 and 35, the bell crank lever 56 being rotated in such a position as to cause the grippers 34 and 35 to clamp the wire. During this operation, the oscillatable pivoted clamp lever 64 has been rotated by the raised portion 61 of cam 65 through cam roll 66 to raise the bolt 49 against the tension of spring 48. Raising of bolt 49 will allow the upper gripper 44 to move upwardly so that the wire can pass between the surface 9| of said gripper and the upper surface of pivoted element 45.

Referring to Fig. 3, the Wire feed mechanism is shown as the feed carriage 39 has been moved to its advanced feeding position, the wire being clamped between the grippers 34 and 35. Inasmuch as the feeding operation is practically complete at this time, the cam roll 66 has passed from the raisedportion of the cam and the upper clamp 44 has descended under urgence of spring 48 to again grip the wire at this point, preparatory to the return movement of the carriage 39.

Fig. 4 shows the link 5| andthe carriage 39 as it is being reciprocated to its initial position, grippers 34 and 35 being released, inasmuchV as bell crank lever 56 has been rotated in a counterclockwise position until it contacts abutment 62, thereby transmitting movement of link 5| to the carriage. During the reverse movement as shown in Fig. 4, the stationary clamping means 44 grips the wire between its lower surface and the pivoted element 45 carried by bracket 42.

In Fig. 2, the punch 54 is shown in its raised position, said punch being carried by a suitable reciprocable gate (not shown) operating in synchronism with shaft 53. As shaft 53 rotates from the position shown in Fig. l to Fig. 3, the cam 68 acts on the positioning-rod operating pivoted lever 69 so as to raise end 1i) thereof and allow spring 1|, operating on collar 12, to move the rod 13 upwardly toward the button 23 held between fingers 25. The upper end of positioning rod 13 has a slot 16 therein for straddling wire 6|. As the rod 13 moves upwardly, arm 11, pivoted on rod operating lever 69 at 18, is rotated so that the cutter sleeve 19 is not moved. As the rod 13 moves upwardly, the punch 54 moves downwardly until the top of the contact button 23 is touched thereby, approximately at the time the positioning rod reaches the underside of the button. Further movement of the punch downwardly will carry the button between the punch 54 and the rod 13 until the button is locked within the dielectric cup 22 held in dial 20, the downward movement of rod 13 being allowed by spring'1l. As the button is carried into the dielectric cup 22, the right-hand edge of the wire 6| (Fig. l) is engaged between the button and the dielectric cup in the position shown in Fig. 9. The cam 63 then causes the pivoted rod operating lever 69 to rotate downwardly and carry the collar 12 and rod 13 to the position shown in Fig. 4, or to follow the same downwardly. YAs the pivoted lever 69 moves to this position, the arm 11 contacts thel end 89 of adjustable abutment 8|, causing rotaso as to raisethe cut-off sleeve 19 upwardly. Upper end 82 of the cut-off sleeve will pass over the end of quill 59 and cooperate therewith to cut olf the wire 16 protruding from the passage in the quill 59. Further rotation of the shaft 53 then returns the collar to its position shown in Fig. 1 and rapidly moves the link 17 to its normal position, thereby releasing the cut-oi sleeve 19.

The cut-off sleeve is urged downwardly by spring 83, downward motion thereof being limited by means of the C-shaped clamp 84 (Figs. 4 and 6)`, the lower end 85 of said clamp cooperating with the flange 86 of the cut-off sleeve 19. The punch 54 having been returned to its upper position, the dial 20 is then indexed in synchronism with the machine to carry another dielectricV under punch 54 for assembly with another button and piece of wire.

-An alternative form of the cutter operating mechanism is shown in Fig. 14, wherein a cutter rod is located at |00, said rod being spring pressed downwardly by spring A bell crank arm |02 is pivoted at |03 to the frame or support of the machine. The positioning rod operating lever |04 is pivoted at |05 and may be operated by any suitable cam mechanism. Projection |08 of said rod operating lever |04 has a knob |01 for contacting the end |08 of the lever |02. As the operating lever |04 rotates clockwise after a button has been positioned in a dielectric cup, knob |01 will .contact end |08 of pivoted lever |02 and move the cutter rod |00 upwardly to sever the wire 6| In Fig. 14, there also is shown an alternative form of locking and unlocking arrangement for the wire feed mechanism. The carriage is shown at |09, slidable on a suitable guideway or tenon H0. Said carriage is moved by oscillation of lever Vdriven by any suitable cam arrangement.`

Spring l2 serves to return the carriage to the position shown in Fig. 14. A stationary clamp is shown at H3, having a spring H4 for acting on arm ||5 of the pivoted lever. End H6 of said lever contacts the wire and holds the same as the carriage makes its return movement. Pivoted clamp |6 has a spring leaf attached thereto, which bears against the top of pivoted lever IIS. Lever ||8 is operated from a cam in timed relation to the other parts. When the carriage |09 starts its forward motion to feed wire, lever ||8 is rocked counterclockwise so as to press upwardly on spring and clamp the wire 6| between the pivoted lever ||6 and the frame of the carriage. At the same time, the end 9 of lever 8 will raise end ||5 of the stationary clamp and free the wire at this point. Spring will ride along the top edge of lever H8 as the carriage moves forwardly. At the end of the stroke of the carriage, the lever ||3 is oscillated clockwise to unclamp the wire at the carriage and to clamp the wire at the stationary clamp.

What is claimed is:

1. In a machine of the character described, the combination comprising means to feed a strand of wire in measured lengths through the hollow in a hollow article; a slotted wire receiving and component part positioning means, said positioning means being reciprocable through said hollow article to a component part receiving position; means to feed a component part to said positioning means; and means to move said positioning means back through said article and thereby to insert the component part into said article to engage said wire between the said component part and the said hollow article.

2. In a machine of the character described, the combina-tion comprising hollow article holding means; means to feed a strand of wire in measured lengths up through a hollow article in said holding means; a slotted component part positioning means, said positioning means being reciprocable through said hollow article to a component part receiving station, said slot straddling said fed wire; means to feed a component part to said positioning means; and means to move said component part into said article to engage said wire therebetween.

3. In a machine of the character described, the

combination lcomprising means to feed a strand of wire in measured lengths through the hollow in a hollow article; a slotted component part positioning means, said .positioning means being reciprocable through said hollow article to a component part receiving position, said slot receiving said fed wire; means to feed a component part to said positioning means; means to move said positioning means and the component part .thereon into said article to engage said wire between the said component part and the said hollow article; and means to cut said wire after it has been so engaged.

4. In a machine of the character described, the combination comprising means to feed a strand of Wire through a hollow in an article; a component positioning means comprising an element which is reciprocable through said hollow to an upper point above said article; means to feed a component part thereto at said upper point; spring means to urge said element to said upper point; a lever for pressing said element downward to insert said component part into said hollow article; and means to move said lever after a length of wire has been fed through said hollow article.

5. In a machine of the character described, the combination comprising means to feed a strand of Wire through a hollow in an article; a component positioning means comprising an element which is reciprocable through said hollow to an upper point above said article; means to feed a component part thereto at said upper point; spring means to urge said element to said upper point; a lever for pressing said element downward to insert said component part into said hollow article; means to move said lever after a length of wire has been fed through said hollow article; a cutter member spring urged downward'- ly; and means carried by said lever to move said cutter means upwardly to cut a predetermined length of 'said wire after it has been engaged between said inserted component part and article.

6. In a machine of the character described, the combination comprising means to feed a strand of wire in measured lengths through a hollow in an article; a component part positioning means, an element of said positioning means being reciprocable through said hollow to an upper position for receiving a component part; spring means to urge said element to said upper position; means to feed a component part to said element; oscillatable lever means to return said positioning means element downwardly to insert said component part into said hollow article; a cutter member spring urged downwardly; and means pivoted on said lever and contactable with an abutment as said positioning means lever moves n7. 1nV a machine'of the character described, the

'combination comprising means to feed a strand 'ing position; spring means to urge said positioning means to an upper position; means to feed a component part to said positioningv means; oscillatable lever means to allow reciprocation of said positioning means; and punch means movable downwardly to move a component part engaged between said punch and said positioning means into said hollow article so as to engage the wire between said component part and the walls of said hollow article.

8. In a machine of the character described, the combination comprising means to feed a, strand of wire in measured lengths through a hollow article; a component part positioning means, said positioning means being recprocable through said hollow article to an upper component part receiving position; spring means to urge said positioning means to an upper position; means to feed a component part to said positioning means; oscillatable lever means to allow reciprocation of said positioning means; a punch means movable downwardly to move a component part engaged between said punch and said positioning means into said hollow article so as to engage the Wire between said component part and the Awalls of said hollow article; a cutter member spring urged downwardly; and means pivotable on said oscillatable lever and contactable with a fixed abutment as said oscillatable lever moves downwardly to operate the cutter member upwardly so as to cut a predetermined length of wire after said wire has been engaged between `a component part and said article.

9. In a machine of the character described, the combination comprising means to feed a strand of wire in measured lengths through a hollow article; a component part positioning means, said Vsaid cutter member;

positioning means being reciprocable through said hollow article to an upper component part receiving position; spring means to urgesaid positioning means to an upper position; means to feed a component part to said positioning means; oscillatable lever means to allow reciprocation of said positioning means; punch means movable downwardly to move a component part engaged between said punch and said positioning means into said article so as to engage the wire between said component part and the walls of said hollow article;'a cutter member spring urged downwardly; means to limit the downward movement of and means pivotable on said oscillatable lever and contactable with a xed abutment as said oscillatable lever moves downwardly to operate the cutter member upwardly so as to cut a predetermined length of wire after said wire has been engaged between a component part and said article.

JOHN P. CATLIN. VJARREN S. REYNOLDS. HOWARD E. HUTZELMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of thisV patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,065,333 Bailey June 24, 1913 1,066,980 Bailey July 8, 1913 1,327,322 Gruschka et al Jan. 6, 1920 1,431,260 Rosen Oct. 10, 1922 1,539,922 Thompson June 2, 19.25 1,681,829 Wesse'ler Aug. 21, 1928 1,733,835 Steenstrup Oct. 29, 1929 1,836,147 Wright Dec. 15, 1931 2,213,427 Bogner Sept. 3, 1940 2,327,885 Grace Aug. 24, 1943 2,381,083 Shuiiiebothan Aug. 7, 1945 2,385,951 Stelzer Oct. 2, 1945 

